Love Bites
by Rika the Strange
Summary: Miranda returns from a mission in Poland infected with vampirism. Not wanting to loose an exorcist, Komui assigns Krory to help her cope! Coming to terms with what you used to be has never been harder... Or more awkward. Eventual Mirkrory
1. Day One, Part One

Rika T. Strange is back with more Mirkrory, because I've been neglecting this pairing for far to long! This is a little plotbunny that attacked me one day, that I actually RP'd with someone for a while. They quit after a while, unfortunately, but it was fun while it lasted. I haven't used any of their words in the piece but they helped me get a good idea for what/where I wanted it to go, so thanks, "Kiki Wind Guardian!" Probably wouldn't have gotten around to this without ya.

Character's are Hoshino's, plot is mine!

* * *

Exorcists, finders, and science division members alike shuffled through the halls. Komui tried his damnedest to avoid paperwork while guzzling as much coffee as possible. Kanda tried, with limited success, to enjoy his soba in peace. An average day at the Order by any means. Miranda and Allen had just returned from their mission and now stood outside the gate to the ark, waiting patiently for Komui to come debrief them. "Allen, I... I feel strange," Miranda mumbled. Her face was pale and she was sweating, although the halls of the Order were rarely warm enough for that.

"Are you alright?" The boy asked, taking a step closer. The woman pawed blindly at her neck and collarbones, breathing heavily.

"N-no, I think I..." Her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell forward in a faint.

"Miranda!" Allen lunged and barely managed to catch her in time. "Somebody get the medical team!" He shouted to those nearby. Timcampny, meanwhile, fluttered nervously around Miranda, fanning her face with his wings. It didn't take long for a team of nurses to arrive and put Miranda on a stretcher.

"We'll take her to the hospital wing; you should go see Komui about this," one of the nurses told Allen. He nodded and hurried down the halls.

Once inside the science officer's office, it took little time for the boy to explain what happened. "She just fainted! She said she felt funny before that but until then she was fine..." He couldn't help looking at least slightly panicked. "Is she going to be okay?"

Komui frowned and shuffled around the papers on his desk, trying to keep the worry off his face. "We won't know until we get a report back from the medical staff... Are you sure there was nothing out of the ordinary? No close calls with akuma or Noah?"

Allen paused to think for a bit before answering, his brows furrowed as he spoke. "Well... Our host, Ms. Erzsebet..." The boy's face heated up a bit. "Sh-she really liked Miranda. A-a lot. And she was tired a lot more than usual, even though she didn't invoke her Innocence for very long."

The science officer nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. You can go, just drop off the Innocence with Helveska on your way out. Don't hesitate to come talk with me if you remember anything." The boy nodded and hurried off again. Komui, meanwhile, sighed and ran his hands over his face. Any exorcist out of commission meant an added burden on the others… He could only hope she recovered quickly.

In the hospital wing Miranda tossed fitfully in her bed, periodically gnawing through her pillows while tears coursed down her cheeks. She had no fever but sweated profusely, and it was all the nurses could do to keep her sheets from soaking through.

"She just ripped through another one!" One of the nurses shouted, throwing the shredded remains of a pillow on the floor while Miranda chewed on the last, largest piece with uncharacteristic viciousness.

"Did she always have canines like that?" Another nurse asked quietly, bringing a pillow with him. "They're even larger than Krory's…"

"I don't know about her teeth but her eyes sure as hell didn't look like a cat's before the mission," the first responded, taking the new pillow and dropping it near Miranda's head. The woman let out a strangled wail and began to sob into it. "Let's just hope that whatever's infected her gets out of her system soon…"

It took an hour and a half of screaming, sobbing and sweating and about twenty pillows before Miranda finally regained some semblance of conscious thought. "Ah…" She sighed wearily and forced herself to sit up, feeling as haggard as she looked.

"Do you feel any better, Ms. Miranda?" One of the nurses asked, finally feeling it was safe enough to change out her soaked bed sheets.

"I-I'm very thirsty..." She croaked, and the nurse nodded.

"I'll get you a little bit of water. If you can keep that down, you can have some more." Miranda nodded and the nurse was about to leave, when the exorcist caught her hand.

"Wait..." There was a strange gleam in Miranda's eyes and before the nurse or other personal could stop her, she'd chomped down on the woman's wrist. Blood trickled down her arm and the nurse screamed; it shocked Miranda enough that she let go, panting and licking desperately at her bloody teeth. "I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I... I'm just so thirsty..." She started to cry again and one of the other nurses ran to report to the science division.

* * *

"She's a vampire, or at least something that's allergic to sunlight and craving blood. I can't tell you how, can't tell you why, just that she is." Reever scowled and tossed the medical report onto Komui's desk. "She's still compatible with her Innocence, however."

The chief sighed. "Get to work on a cure, then... Or at least a vampire-strength sun block. And something to keep her fed! I'll... Find a way to help her adjust in the meantime." Reever nodded and headed out the door. Komui picked up his phone and dialed the communication golem nearest to Arystar Krory. "Mr. Krory," he said once the signal connected. "I need to see you in my office immediately…"

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Rika says: That's the end of the first chapter! Hope you enjoyed~ Review and tell me what to do better, please!


	2. Day One, Part Two

Rika's back with chapter twoooo~! I've actually had it written out for a while, just forgotten to actually post it xD; Anyways, hope y'all enjoy it! 3

Characters are Hoshino's~ May re-serialization of the series help it to actually start making sense again!

* * *

As far as days go, Krory had been having a good one. He'd woken up, trained by himself, gone to breakfast, read in the library, gone to lunch, and then gone to one of the courtyards. He was simply taking a stroll, admiring the changing leaves and last blooms of the season.

That's when the trouble began.

_Beepbeepbeep-_

Krory glanced around with mild surprise, wondering what kind of bug made such an artificial-sounding "beep" noise.

_Beeepbeepbeep-_

He frowned and lifted one of his feet up, looking down at the ground. It sounded so close!

_BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEEEEEEEEEE-_

Krory looked up just in time for the communication golem to fly smack into his face. "Ah!" He shouted with surprise and stumbled backwards. The golem recovered more quickly than him and buzzed frantically around his head, still beeping like mad. The man shook his head, slightly dazed. "K-krory here," he managed to stammer.

The golem came to a sudden halt in front of him, and after moment of static Komui's voice came through. "-need to see you in my office immediately."

"Ah? Alright." The exorcist furrowed his brows and started towards the supervisor's office, the golem fluttering ahead. _I wonder if I'm being sent on another mission?_ Since the ark incident he'd been on quite a few by himself.

He didn't have much time to think things over, however, as he soon reached Komui's office. Once inside, the science head motioned for him to sit, while he finished off the last of his coffee. The man looked forlornly at the bottom of the cup for a moment, then sighed and faced Krory. "I have an urgent and extremely important mission for you." He slid a slim folder forward.

_Hm?_ Krory opened it and picked the papers up, then glanced questioningly at Komui. Normally he briefed them verbally.

"It's easier to explain if you just read it."

The exorcist nodded and opened the file, surprised to find what looked to be a medical report inside.

Patient Number 18974690 

Height: 5' 5"

Weight: 115

Temperature: 75*F

Blood Pressure: 80/55

Symptoms: Excessive sweating was noted at first but has since subsided. Pupil shape has changed to resemble a feline's, unknown if vision is altered. Superior canines have grown to the length of .5". Exhibits a craving for human blood, to the point of assaulting medical personnel.

Cause: Unknown, potentially pathogenic

Diagnosis: Vampirism

"I'm afraid I don't understand," Krory said softly, confused and wondering if he should be offended. "I... What _is_ this? Is it a mission, o-or…" He trailed off, unsure.

Komui shifted awkwardly, wondering how best to put it. "One of your comrades has more or less become a vampire, and as you're the one with the most experience in this matter-"

"I am not a vampire," Krory stated flatly, getting to his feet. "And I don't appreciate insinuations of such! I will _not_-"

"-It's for Miranda," Komui interrupted, desperate for something to calm him down and rope him into agreeing.

He stopped and blinked a few times as he wrapped his brain around this new bit of information. "M-Miranda?"

"Yes. She returned from her mission with Allen a few hours ago and has been in the medical ward since."

"I… I had no idea…" Krory shook his head and collapsed back down into the chair. Normally his friend came to see him right away after her missions, so they could catch up with one another. "Is she alright?"

"She's still alive and compatible with her Innocence," he answered, refilling his beloved mug with his equally beloved coffee. "Beyond that I can't really say. They've banned all non-medical personnel from her room until further notice."

_She's locked up in there, just like… I was. She probably has no idea what's happening to her._ Krory felt his heartstrings tugging him towards the medical wing. "What do you want me to do?"

Komui smiled behind his mug. "Just talk to her, for now. Help her understand the changes she's going through, teach her how to control her craving for blood."

"I can do that," Krory said with some confidence. He wasn't so sure if he'd be able to help her with the second part, but… He needed to at least try. _No one should have to go through what I did._

"Wonderful! She's in room 102 D." Komui scribbled some information on a notepad and handed it to Krory. "Give this to the guards outside." Krory nodded and stood. As he headed down the hall, he could've sworn he heard Komui shout, "be careful!" from his office.

"One-oh-two A, one-oh-two B..." Krory glanced away from the room numbers for a moment and caught sight of the guards that he assumed were in front of 102 D. He hurriedly approached, holding tight to his pass. "Ah… Is this Miranda's room?"

One of the guards nodded. "Yeah, but no one's allowed in right now."

"I have a pass," he answered, holding out the slip of paper.

The guard took it, read over it quickly, returned it and nodded. He opened the door for him, and placed a warning hand on his shoulder. "Be careful, Mr. Krory. She's already attacked a nurse."

"R-right," he answered, having trouble imagining Miranda attacking _anything_, let alone another human being.

It was surprisingly quiet inside the room, only a few nurses standing about and talking amongst themselves. They glanced at Krory and he tentatively approached. "I'm here to help Miranda."

One of them raised an eyebrow and he handed her his pass; she read it over and shrugged. "If the supervisor thinks it'll help."

Krory nodded and slowly approached the bed where, underneath an enormous pile of blankets and pillows, a few strands of Miranda's hair were peeking out. "Miranda?"

No answer.

"Miranda, it's me, Krory. I came to visit you…"

Pause.

Slowly the woman burrowed out from under the mountain of bedding, until only the top half of her face was visible. "How'd you get in?"

He smiled gently, consciously resisting the habit of keeping his lips together to hide his fangs. "Komui wrote me a pass."

"O-oh…" Miranda shrunk back under the covers a bit, but that couldn't hide the fact she was staring hungrily at his neck. "You should p-probably go," she told him quietly, tearing her eyes away for the barest of moments in her embarrassment. _I wish… I wish he didn't have to see me like this!_

Krory rubbed his neck awkwardly, feeling self-conscious under her stare and wondering if nervousness was contagious. He'd done the same thing to Eliade, but being on the receiving end of such attention was… Disconcerting, to say the least. "I, uh… I'll be all right. How are you doing, Miranda?"

"…I'm really thirsty still, I-I suppose." She laughed, almost hysterically. "B-but the mission went well! We got the Innocence and Allen said I helped a lot!"

"That's good," Krory said, nodding empathetically. He knew thinking about his accomplishments as an exorcist always made him feel better; maybe if he could get Miranda to do the same she'd feel better, too. "Do you know how many pieces that is now?"

"Ah… No." Miranda didn't seem to be listening, judging from the way she was squirming under the blankets.

Krory frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"I can't-" She stopped suddenly, heaving an enormous sigh. "I-I can't reach up to itch my nose."

"Why not?"

"She's in restraints," one of the nurses called, having kept an ear on their conversation. "And if you put your hand anywhere near her face she'll bite it."

Miranda wailed with embarrassment and retreated back under the blankets.

"A-ah, Miranda-! It's alright, I- I understand." Krory placed a hand lightly on the top of the pile. "I know what it's like…" He thought for a moment of the villagers he'd thought he'd killed and had to work to suppress a shudder. It wasn't something he liked to dwell on, but... _Oh, Eliade…_ Suddenly another thought struck him.

"Has anyone tried feeding her?"

For a moment, the room was absolutely silent.

Krory looked down, wringing his hands. "W-well, I mean, whenever I- Whenever _my Innocence_ tried to make me attack the vil- I mean akuma- Sometimes Eliade would give me just a little of her blood, to- to hold me over." He chanced a glance up at the nurses and inwardly flinched at their incredulous stares. _I must sound like a monster…_

"Yeah, but that was different."

Krory's head snapped up in surprise. "What?"

"Well, Eliade was an akuma, and we're all human. If she takes too much, we'll die."

He visibly flinched this time, tears prickling in his eyes, but forced himself to change the subject. "…I'm sure I can give her some without trouble." The exorcist turned back to where his fellow lay. "Is that alright, Miranda?"

She poked half her face out and although it looked like she tried to shake her head "no," her hungry stare was screaming "yes."

Krory pulled up his sleeve and held his wrist near her face. "It's okay, really." He tried not to let his voice waver.

Before he could change his mind, Miranda bit down hard. Krory winced, but it hardly registered in her brain. All that mattered was the hot, metallic fluid flowing past her lips.

He let a few moments pass and then he tried to pull away, but Miranda bit down harder and _growled_. "Ah… Right." Krory was at a loss for how to respond to that… But he wasn't feeling woozy yet so he supposed he could let her feed a bit more.

Another minute passed and he felt her grip on his wrist lessen, which was good because he was starting to feel lightheaded. "Y-you need to stop now, Miranda."

She ignored him and continued to lazily suck on the wound, occasionally running her tongue across his skin.

"Miranda!" Krory tried to pull his arm away but she clamped back down. "You need to stop!" He reached out with his free hand and tentatively placed it on her cheek. "_Please_."

For a second he thought he was going to have to try and pry her off, and then he felt her fangs slide out and he quickly pulled his wrist away. "Thank you," he said woozily, covering up his wrist to help slow the bleeding.

Miranda nodded distractedly, face aflame as she sucked on her lips to draw out the last few drops of blood that had smeared there.

"Are you alright, Mr. Krory?" One of the nurses asked, walking over with a folding chair. "You should sit down for a bit."

He nodded and collapsed back into the chair, while the woman set about bandaging up his wound. It didn't look as bad as he thought it might: just two neat holes that would, with luck, heal without a scar. But it was taking a very long time to stop bleeding, even considering the location.

"I'm going to ask the science department if they have any akuma blood… If it gets worse don't hesitate to lay down." Krory nodded and then smiled reassuringly at Miranda as the nurse left.

"I'm sorry," she squeaked, still insistent on keeping half her face hidden, although she'd kicked off the majority of her blankets. "I… I didn't mean to take so much… I'm really, truly sorry!"

Krory smile spread to a purposefully toothy grin. "It's alright, Miranda. I'm sure I'll be…" He paused, blinking hard as he tried to make the world stop spinning. "…Be fine…" He laughed drunkenly and then fell off the chair, unconscious.

* * *

Rika says: Guyz D: Guyzguyzguyz college is so amazing but it makes me SO BUSY. SO. BUSY. So updates are going to be slow. Please review though!


	3. Day One, Part Three

Rika's back with chapter three~! It's a bit longer (I think) so hopefully it was worth the wait?

Characters are Hoshino's~ Here's to the next update!

* * *

"I-Is he going to be alright?" Miranda asked for the umpteenth time, watching worriedly from her bed. "Y-you can pump my stomach if he needs more blood!"

"He's going to be _fine_, just as soon as we get a hold of some akuma blood," one of the nurses answered irritably. "Just… Go to sleep or something, Miranda. You're distracting us."

"I'm sorry…" Miranda lay her head down on the pillow but continued to watch. Poor Krory's situation was entirely her fault; the very least she could do was keep vigil over him until he woke back up.

The doors to the room slammed open and the nurse from earlier ran in, clutching a small flask. "I got the akuma blood!" She skidded to a halt beside Krory and uncapped the container; Miranda's nose wrinkled with distaste at the smell and without thinking she reached up to plug her nose, breaking her restraint without a problem. The nurses couldn't hear the leather tear, so they continued to treat Krory as if nothing had happened.

Carefully, one of them poured the reddish liquid into the container's cap, and from there, into Krory's mouth. There was a pause and then his Innocence took over, inducing him to swallow. Unknown to those present in the room, Krory slowly started to regain consciousness. His eyes stayed shut but sounds began to filter in, and he listened intently. Mostly he heard the tense overwhelming, tense silence as the nurses and Miranda waited for him to awaken.

"He's going to diiiiiie!" Miranda wailed suddenly, shattering the silence and snapping another restraint in her dismay. "He's going to die a-and it's all m-my fault!"

"Be quiet, he's going to be fine!"

"It's all my fault, I'm sorry!" She started to cry, and one of the nurses wondered with exasperation if she'd have to change the sheets again. "I didn't mean to take so much, r-really! I'm so sorry!"

"Just shut up, you useless woman!"

Krory's eyes snapped open. _No one gets to talk to Miranda like that, especially not now… Not with what she's going through!_

There was a streak of black and suddenly the nurse was pinned against the wall, Krory's hand against his neck. "It's not polite to speak to a lady in such a manner," he hissed, glaring down at him with catlike eyes. "And I advise that you refrain from speaking to her in such a manner in the future… Understand?" The nurse gurgled and nodded, so Krory dropped his hand. The man stumbled away, rubbing his neck and throwing a cautious glare over his shoulder.

"Freaks…"

Krory shot him a venomous look and he scurried out the door. The other nurses were at a loss, mouths agape. Miranda was equally shocked, but for a different reason. _He… defended me… after all I did. He defended me._

"I suggest you leave as well," he told the remaining nurses, his tone much politer than before. "You were unable to hear it but she's broken one of her restraints, and I would hate for you to injure yourselves."

Their eyes widened and they nodded, quickly leaving the room. Miranda looked at him with a different flavor of bewilderment. "You heard that?" She hadn't even noticed it herself until a moment ago.

He smirked. "Of course. I can hear millions of things, from the mice under the floorboards to the bats in the belfry!" He seemed quite pleased with himself.

"Th-that's amazing," Miranda said with genuine awe. Krory lost his composure for a moment, blushing, then turned away and coughed into his hand to regain it.

"O-of course! It's only to be expected." He approached and tried to pull back the covers from her face, but she squealed suddenly and wrapped them tightly around herself.

"P-please don't do that!"

"Why not?" He asked, honestly puzzled.

"I… I-I don't want anyone to see my… my fangs."

His expression softened. "You shouldn't worry about that. Be proud of your ferocity!" He couldn't hold back a slightly feral grin.

"I don't want to be ferocious," Miranda protested quietly, peeking out from the covers again.

Krory scowled. "It's in your nature now to be so. Embracing it will give you more control."

"I… I s-suppose that makes sense." Hesitantly, Miranda lowered the blankets from her face. Her canines were about twice the length they were before, with just the very ends poking out at the moment. Their length wouldn't be obvious to anyone unless they were looking, but Miranda was the very definition of self-conscious.

_They're rather cute,_ Krory found himself thinking, before he realized it and mentally slapped himself. _Don't be stupid!_ "There," he said reassuringly, his voice saying nothing of his mental conflict.

_I had no idea he could be so gentle when he was like this…_ She was slowly starting to feel more comfortable. Hesitantly, Miranda smiled- though she kept her lips firmly pressed together.

"Now, are you properly clothed beneath the blankets?"

Miranda blinked, giving him a deer in the headlights look. _What?_ The nurses had changed her into a hospital gown so she was at least fit for company, but why should that matter? "Ah… Yes?"

"Good." He pulled the covers off before she could react and started to undo her remaining two restraints.

"A-ah, wait! What are you doing?!" Her breathing increased to an almost frantic rate. "N-no! I'm still dangerous, I'm still..!" She started to cry, effectively terrified of herself. "I d-don't want to hurt you again! I'm s-sorry!"

Krory blushed slightly, touched by her concern. "You won't hurt me again… I promise." He continued to steadily undo her last restraint. "I'm going to teach you to control yourself, but you have to _trust_ me and _not panic_."

Miranda sniffled and stifled a sob. "I-I… I'll try." She wiped her face and slowly sat up, at least glad she could do that.

"Good." He held out his hand for her, and hesitantly she took it. _Odd… Her hand's warm…_ Krory shook it off as unimportant and helped her to her feet. "Obviously, you're stronger than before. Can you hear things you couldn't before?"

"Ah… I don't know." Miranda almost bit her lip but then hastily decided against it.

"Close your eyes and concentrate on simply listening. Think of yourself as a funnel for sound."

Miranda nodded softly and did as he said. The resulting rush of sound was fantastic in the very essence of the word: it seemed like something she could only imagine in her wildest dreams, if that. She heard everything from the scratches of pen on paper in Reever's office to the delighted gurgles of Allen's stomach as he scarfed another skewer of dango. The noises began to encroach on her thoughts and she winced, holding tighter to Krory's hand, because even worse than the sounds were the smells. Each person in the building had a distinct flavor of blood and heat, mixing together in an irresistible manner. She forced her eyes open in an attempt to distract herself.

"I-I never knew the Order was so n-noisy," Miranda gasped, relieved to find the sounds, smells and subsequent craving lessened when she wasn't concentrating on them. "It's k-kind of scary to be able to hear and... s-smell so much."

Krory nodded approvingly. "You're already starting to control your senses. They'll be very useful in detecting akuma, among other things."

Miranda brightened suddenly. "Y-you think so?"

"Of course. You're strength, too, once you learn to control it."

Suddenly things seemed a thousand times brighter. _If I can learn to control myself, then… I'll be extra useful!_ Miranda smiled, too excited to keep her lips together. "Wonderful!"

Again Krory found himself eyeing her fangs admiringly, and again he slapped himself inside his head. _Stop it! Now isn't the time of such foolishness!_ "Ah, now!" He glanced down at their joined hands and shook himself once more. "You'll probably only be able to test your strength in actual combat with akuma, so we're just going to work on your self-control."

Suddenly and completely without warning, Krory enveloped her in his arms. She yelped and her entire body stiffened with surprise. "Wh-what-" She struggled for the barest of moments to get away, her face flushing bright red, before some part of her realized the advantage of the position and her attention locked on to his neck. She watched as the vein fluttered with each heartbeat, and licked her lips without noticing.

Krory anticipated this, having acting the same way when Eliade had tried the exercise on him. "I am not food," he reminded her firmly, but not unkindly. "…Unless you feel as if you're going to die from starvation," he amended, with only slight reluctance.

Miranda blushed and nodded, looking down in shame and then catching sight of his bandaged wrist. The blood had soaked through the wrappings slightly, and the sight of it was more tempting than his pulsing jugular. _His wrist his wrist is there it has blood it's okay I won't take much it's okay it's just right there it has blood his wrist-_

"Miranda," he said with the same tone as before, making her jump. "Stop." He moved his bandaged wrist to rest on the small of her back, while the other arm remained around her shoulders. She shook her head vigorously, trying to clear it of her craving.

"I-I'm sorry… I r-really don't want to hurt you!"

"I know," he said, understanding too well the predicament she was in. "That's why I'm doing this. When I can hold you like this for at least an hour without having to correct you, that's when I know you can leave." Eliade of course had always made it impossible for him to resist, going out of her way to tempt him with her blood. _I won't do that to Miranda, though,_ he thought sternly. _I won't let her feel like a monster!_

"A w-whole hour?" Miranda's blush intensified. _I… I don't know if I can do that!_ In addition to her lack of self-confidence, there was also the fact that it was _Krory_ and he was holding her in a rather intimate way.

He nodded, all business. "If you can control yourself under such close conditions for that long, you'll be able to do it longer in less severe ones."

_Well, that makes sense…__ And does feel nice, having him hold me like this…_ She didn't want to hurt him, but…_ I'll just need to work extra hard!_ Miranda nodded. "I understand. Th-thank you, Krory."

He smiled and without thinking, kissed the top of her head.

* * *

Rika says: As always, I'm a college student so life is BUSY. Please review and critique anyways though 3


	4. Day Thirty, Part One

Rika says: As promised, chapter 4! I have chapter five almost finished, so I'll probably have that up next week. Keep cheering for me guys, and tell me how to improve! I'm really working, I swear! XD

* * *

Miranda awoke in her hospital room exactly as she had for the past thirty days, yawning quietly and stretching. Life had, for the time being, settled into a comfortable rhythm. Although she was quickly growing tired of her confinement, Krory's consistent and reassuring presence has done wonders to make it tolerable and, more importantly, help her. They'd been through quite a bit in the past month.

"_Miranda," Krory said calmly one day, holding her in his arms as usual. "What was the woman you stayed with like?" She didn't know it, but he'd been reading up on vampire folklore in the hopes of finding new ways to help her._

"_Ms. Erzsebet? W-well, I guess she was kind of scary… A-at least to me." Miranda shivered slightly. "She liked to follow me around a-and gave me the room right next to hers. And she a-almost never woke up before dusk!"_

_He scowled. "I see."_

"_Wh-why? Do you think she was," Miranda's voice lowered, "a vampire?"_

_Krory nodded. "She might have been the one that infected you."_

Of course, not all days were so serious. Sometimes Krory came without drinking his akuma blood, and then they chatted together like they once had.

"_And then Sir Lancelot jumped out the window!" Krory cried enthusiastically._

"_Goodness!" Miranda exclaimed, genuinely impressed._

"_I had to stop reading after that, but I can't wait to find out what happens next." He paused for a moment to fish around in his cloak before pulling out a book titled "Le Mort d' Arthur" and handing it to her. "I got this from the library, so… You can read along with me, if you'd like." He was hard-pressed to hide the faint blush lining his cheeks._

_In contrast Miranda's face lit up as she took the book. "Thank you, Krory! I- I r-really appreciate it!"_

_He smiled. "I thought it might keep you from getting bored. When I… When I still lived in my grandfather's castle, I would often read to keep myself from growing bored or lonely. Until Eliade came…" His eyes grew misty and without thinking, Miranda took his hand. He jumped slightly and then smiled gratefully at her, wiping his eyes. "A-anyways I hope you like it."_

"_I'm sure I will." She smiled and he was glad to know he caused it. "Th-thank you again, Krory."_

And as much as she felt guilty saying it, her favorite days were when she got to eat. After a long and intense debate, the science team had decided that the best way to keep her fed would be to hold a bi-weekly blood drive for her, since, after her initial fit of hunger, her cravings ended up corresponding almost perfectly with need- not that she wouldn't take a snap at a colleague if given the chance.

"_Miranda, I brought your lunch!" Krory said as he walked through the door, carrying a small box. She dropped the book she was reading and ran over, squirming with impatience._

"_You've gotten better at waiting," he noted, opening the box and handing her the bag filled with blood._

_She immediately bit into it. "Thanksh," she said between gulps, more focused on her meal than conversation._

"_If you can keep your head around fresh blood, you'll be able to keep it around people."_

"_Shink so?" Miranda asked after a long pause, listening again now that the pressing thirst was quenched._

_  
"I do," he answered, smiling quietly. "I think you'll be able to see everyone again very soon."_

_She dislodged her fangs from the now-empty bag to stare at it intently. "I… Hope so."_

Today, however, was different from all other kinds of days. Unlike most days, there was a note on her bedside table. _Hm?_ She picked it up and began to read.

Inspector Link and Leverier plant to meet with you at eleven. Krory will be by at nine to speak with you, be ready. Destroy this after you've read it. –Komui

Miranda's eyes widened slightly with shock and she hurriedly shred the note into impossibly tiny pieces. She glanced at the clock and then jumped to her feet, heart racing. _Eight fifty-five! Eight fifty-five!_ was all she could think as she threw on her clothes, too hurried to remember that she could simply stop time and dress at her leisure.

Just as she pulled on her boots there was a knock at the door. "C-come in!" Miranda cried, her fingers too tangled in her laces to let her stand, let alone answer the door. Krory walked through a moment later, carrying a package in his arms that, for once, didn't smell of blood.

"This is from the science division," he told her as he set it down. "They said it'll help you with your sun 'allergy'."

Miranda got up from her seat, her laces finally tied properly, and opened it. "A… cloak?" She held the garment up and then looked back in the box. There was a bottle of what looked like lotion in there as well, which she also picked up. "…Sunblock?" She looked to Krory, confused and hesitantly hopeful. "Wh-what is all this for?"

He looked uncomfortable, as if he was unsure of how to say what he wanted to. "Komui's sending us on a mission."

"R-Really?!" Miranda exclaimed, ecstatic. "Wonderful!" _I'll finally get to see everyone again!_

"Ah… W-we have to leave immediately, though." He shifted his weight from foot to foot.

"R-right!" Miranda threw on the cloak, unable to keep the smile from her face. "Where are we going?"

"…Poland."

She froze, and then her smile started to fall. "Why?" She asked quietly.

Krory started to wring his hands. "To… To see if there's a- a cure for your vampirism."

"Wh-why now..?" Miranda looked down at the ground, wondering why finding a cure for her was suddenly now so important, when before it hadn't even been thought about.

"Ah, the science division found out a lot about the virus, s-so now they think there's a good chance it can be cured… With help from a pre-existing vampire." Krory busied himself with packing some things away into a backpack so he wouldn't have to face her.

"I… see." Miranda looked down at her hands. "D-did they do a lot of research?" She wanted to make sure it was absolutely necessary for them to go.

"They did. Leverier ordered them to make it a top priority."

"Why?"

He kept his back turned and she kept her head down. "He wants to make all equipment type exorcists vampires as a result of some of their findings."

"Wh-what?!" She cried, her face snapping up to look at Krory. "It's horrible being this way! Why would he do that?!"

"Because they're almost certain you're immune to the akuma blood virus now… Added to your increased strength and senses, a-and he thinks it'd be good to have lots of exorcists like that."

Miranda looked down again, slowing seeing the logic. "…Why only equipment types?"

"Parasite types are immune."

"A-ah." She wrung her hands and put the sunscreen away in one if the inside pockets of the cloak. "S-so if we don't find a cure..."

"We'll find a cure." Krory's voice was stern, determined. _Because if we don't… She can't come back._

_

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Rika also says: Dun dun dun! Dramatic ending to the chapter! Tune back in next week (or whenever I get around to updating) to see what happens next!_


	5. Day Thirty Nine, Part One

Rika says: FINALLY got chapter five up~ Enjoy, even though it's short!

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It was wet. It was very, extremely, terribly wet. And if there was one thing Miranda had discovered she disliked since becoming a vampire, it was _water_. To make matters worse, she and Krory had been forced to take shelter in a cave, denied the normal provisions the Order would usually give them so as to keep their location secret from the likes of Leverier.

"I-I hate the rain!" Miranda stammered almost fearfully, pulling her cloak more tightly around herself and scooting closer to the fire. Her instincts shouted at her to stay away from the fire just as much as the rain, but she was also freezing. "A-and I- I- ACHOO!" She sneezed violently as Krory came to sit by her.

"Are you catching a cold?"

"…I d-don't know, can I still do that?" Miranda's fear of the rain turned to bewilderment.

Krory smiled and threw one of the blankets around her shoulders. "I suppose it could be possible."

She nodded and pulled the blanket tightly about herself, grateful for its added warmth. "W-we'll reach the city tomorrow, r-right?" She worked to keep the anxiety from her voice, but she might as well have written "I'm extremely nervous!" on her forehead for all the good it did her.

"Right." He gently placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to be reassuring. "I think you'll be fine."

"I hope so," she answered quietly, staring into the fire. "I… I-I'm really scared…"

"You don't need to be! You're a very strong exorcist, and if nothing else I'll protect you!" Krory couldn't help but puff out his chest slightly.

Miranda smiled the tiniest bit. "Th-thanks. I'm… I'm glad you came with me." She was also glad the firelight concealed blush.

"Of course! I could never abandon you, Miranda!"

She turned to face him, surprised. "…R-really?"

"Why not? You're my comrade, first of all, and then you understand me so well…" he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "I like being around you, Miranda…"

She nodded, smiling gratefully and letting her fangs show without fear. "Th-thank you, Krory."

He smiled in return and slid his hand from her shoulder to rest on top of hers in an affectionate gesture; her face flamed to the point that even the firelight couldn't hide it.

"K-Krory?" she squeaked.

"A-ah, yes?" He asked, debating whether or not to remove his hand. _Did I overstep?_

"Can I…" She turned her head down and to the side, looking up at him shyly; the unintended pout of her lips was simply adorable. Then he could have sworn those lips move to form words, but he didn't hear a sound.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Can I … you?"

"Pardon?"

He thought he might have heard her with growl with frustration but then he stopped thinking altogether, because suddenly two very warm, very real lips were pressed to his. After a moment his brain kicked back into gear and he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer.

It was strange, kissing someone else with fangs. He expected his own to catch on her lips or the other way around, but somehow they made it work. Made it work very well, in fact, because it was a long while before either of them pulled away and when they finally did Miranda was blushing and Krory was at a loss for words. So instead of speaking he wrapped his cloak around them both, cuddling her close until she nodded off to sleep.

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Please read and review, dears! It keeps me motivated and helps me improve!


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